If you are a trade member and believe you or a close family member have been injured because of a doctor’s negligence, you may be able to make a compensation claim through your union membership. Our compassionate and experienced solicitors will use their expertise to determine the facts and help you secure the maximum amount of compensation possible in the shortest period. We will also signpost you to charities and support groups that can assist your rehabilitation.
Get in touch with us today on 0800 0 224 224 or via our Start a Claim form, and we will tell you as soon as possible whether we think you can make a claim.
Commonly-asked questions about making a compensation claim for doctor negligence
1. Was my doctor negligent?
Doctors have a duty of professional care to all patients they treat. If they breach this duty of care and you suffer avoidable pain and suffering as a result of that breach, then your doctor may have been negligent.
2. What does a doctor breaching their duty of care mean?
A doctor could breach their duty of care in several ways. This includes:
Misdiagnosis: Medical misdiagnosis could mean your doctor incorrectly diagnosed your condition, or failed to diagnose and treat your condition. Such misdiagnoses can lead to patients receiving the wrong treatment, if any, and may have serious consequences.
Delayed diagnosis: If a doctor has taken longer than they should reasonably have done to understand your medical issue and provide appropriate treatment, and this has caused you unnecessary suffering, then they may have breached their duty of care.
Birth injuries: If a doctor takes too long to diagnose serious conditions in a mother before a child is born, or doesn’t spot them at all, the child may develop injuries such as cerebral palsy. If poor diagnosis is found to have caused these injuries, you may be eligible to make a compensation claim.
Prescription errors: Examples of occasions where doctors or GPs have been found to have breached their duty of care because of prescription errors include:
- Prescribing the wrong medication
- Prescribing medication for too long
- Prescribing an incorrect dosage of medication
- Prescribing a combination of medicines that should not be used together
- Prescribing medication a patient was known to be allergic to
3. Is it hard to start a compensation claim for doctor negligence?
In doctor negligence claims we need to prove that the care the patient received was below the standard reasonably expected of the practitioner and that their negligence directly caused the harm and suffering.
This can be challenging and no clinical negligence claim is easy, but we will be honest with you about the chances of your claim succeeding and we have helped thousands of people to get compensation for doctor negligence claims over the years.
4. Can I only make a claim against NHS doctors?
No. Whether the doctor practices in an NHS hospital or a private hospital, if their negligence has caused you harm, then we can help you investigate a compensation claim.
5. Is it expensive to start a doctor negligence compensation claim?
No. As a trade union member, you and close family members are eligible for a free consultation with Thompsons Solicitors.
If you decide to start a compensation claim and it is unsuccessful, you will not pay anything. This is known as a ‘conditional fee agreement’, or ‘no win, no fee’. If your claim is successful, your union membership entitles you to exclusive payment terms.
You can find out more about these unique terms on the union site.
6. Can I claim if the negligence happened years ago?
It depends. You have up to three years from the date you could have reasonably been expected to understand your injury or illness was caused by a doctor’s negligence to start a compensation claim.
This time limit is usually strict, though exceptions are made in rare circumstances. For more guidance or advice, contact our legal specialists on 0800 0 224 224.
7. How long will the claim take?
While there is no set time for any case to settle, we always endeavour to bring matters to a close as quickly as possible, while securing you the maximum amount of compensation.
8. Why should trade union members choose Thompsons to make a claim?
Because we are the UK’s leading campaigning law firm. Thompsons is currently urging the government to put Patients Before Profits and make sure that the ‘liability loophole’ that exists in the justice system for private healthcare providers is eliminated, meaning they can no longer avoid taking responsibility for medical negligence.
Thompsons Solicitors will only ever work for injured people, never the insurers. We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the trade union movement for decades and has unrivalled expertise in supporting members with medical negligence compensation claims. Get in touch with our friendly legal team today.
